Squirrel Facts & Types

Squirrels are abundant around Cape Coral and throughout Southwest Florida. They are
a joy to watch and have around, but they can be a
nuisance when they work their way inside your attic, fall into your walls,
or create a hazard by chewing on your electrical wires or other areas of your home.
Understanding their habits is the first step towards co-existing with squirrels.
Various types of squirrels have different behavior characteristics so it is good to be familiar with
the kinds that might be found around your property.

Habits & Behavior

Like all wildlife, squirrels are mainly looking for three things: food, water and shelter.
These three motives are the basis for understanding a squirrel's habits and why they behave the way they do.

Attics Give Squirrels TheShelter They Are Looking For

Eating Habits

The average adult squirrel must eat about a pound of food a week to remain healthy.
They are omnivores, so they will eat things such as: birdseed, spring bulbs,
tree buds, frogs, small birds, eggs, insects, insect larva, fruits, conifer cones,
children that throw sticks at them, and nuts.

Their food is stored in multiple
hiding places, otherwise known as caches. It has been suggested that each squirrel
has thousands of caches each season, and the good memory to find them again too.

Territorial Behavior

Squirrels are very territorial. If there is something that kills a squirrel
more than anything else it is other squirrels.
Females that are currently building a nest, called a drey, are the most aggressive.
Do not approach squirrels,
they have sharp teeth and cannot differentiate fingers from food!

Squirrel Carrying Material UpA Tree To Build A Nest

Breeding & Baby Squirrels

Because breeding and gestation periods can vary because of many factors,
it is very important that we thoroughly inspect your attic after the squirrels have been excluded from your home. A nest of baby squirrels will not only die, but quickly put your family in a hotel because of the smell of dead squirrels.
Typically, a squirrel gestation period is 30 - 44 days.

Below is a photo of a squirrel discovered in an attic by The Wildlife Whisperer
taken before and after it went into hiding.

All three of these species
can be troublesome and a persistent nuisance when they decide to create havoc for homeowners.

In Southwest Florida, along with the common fox squirrel, there is also a
protected fox subspecies with a black head, white feet, and white nose, known as the big cypress fox squirrel (Sciurus niger).

Common Fox Squirrel

Big Cypress - Fox Sub-species

Squirrels in other areas of the state include the Mexican gray (Sciurus aureogaster) found in the Keys,
the Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) found in the northwest corner of the panhandle, and three subspecies
of the fox squirrel, including the Sherman's fox squirrel (Sciurus niger shermanii) found in the open piney woods
of central and northeastern Florida, and the Bachman's (Sciurus niger bachmani) and southern fox
(Sciurus niger niger) squirrels found in the panhandle.

Regardless of the species, you do not want any of them in your house.

The Eastern Gray Squirrel

The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is the most common squirrel found in yards and attics around
Cape Coral, Boca Grande, Pine Island and other areas in the southwestern part of the state.

Eastern Gray Squirrels OftenBuild Their Nest In Palm Trees

They have a body approximately 18 inches long,
including a bushy tail. The grays can vary in color, ranging from a light silver gray
to an almost pure white, and sometimes even all black. The white belly and reddish tinge
can confuse folks as to its proper species.

On occasion, white colored squirrels are spotted around the state, in most cases these are believed to be an eastern
gray squirrel, which carries a gene that in rare cases can make their coat white.

They eastern gray squirrel naturally nests in trees but loves attics most of all, where it is known for its
fondness of chewing on electrical wires.

Gray squirrels have a high tolerance to humans and have no problem making their
home in urban and residential environments.

An Eastern Gray Squirrel TravelingAlong A Suburban Florida Fence Top

When alarmed the gray squirrel has a variety of vocal and tail signals that come into play. Research indicates
that the combination of these signals, when and how they are used, may be more complex than previously realized.
So complex, the idea may be to let other squirrels know specifically what situation is creating the
alarm, i.e., a hawk approaching from the air, or a cat approaching from the ground. It is also believed that the
signals may have the intention of letting the predator know they've been spotted -
in hopes of discouraging the predator away from what
it had previously thought would be a surprise attack.

An Eastern Gray Squirrel Poised To Sound An Alarm

They eastern gray squirrel tends to be more aggressive than some of the other species in the area, such as
the fox squirrel.

In other areas of the country where both gray and red squirrel species exist, the red squirrel
is often displaced by the gray species. And in some countries, the gray squirrel is known as an invasive species,
because, after being introduced to the environment,
it has driven out and threatened the existence of native species in those locations.

Flying Squirrels

Flying squirrels are a common problem in Florida attics, and we frequently receive related calls from residents in
Cape Coral, Pine Island, Boca Grande, Fort Myers and Sanibel Captiva.

Many of these residents were surprised to learn there are
flying squirrels in their area.
Because flying squirrels are nocturnal, they are seldom seen during the day, and it isn't until a homeowner
hears one thumping around in their attic that they realize what a nuisance they can be.

The Southern Flying Squirrel

Flying squirrels present an entirely different problem for homeowners than other kinds of squirrels do.
Telltale signs include insulation formed into "peaks", scratching sounds,
and dragging movement noises, mostly at night around 2 to 4 in the morning.
Other signs include feces they may leave behind that will be molasses like in appearance.

The Fox Squirrel

The Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) is one of the largest squirrels in Florida, it can grow up
to 24 inches long and weigh up to three pounds.

It is believed the fox squirrel got its name because its reddish color, large size, style of movement, and
bushy tail make it appear somewhat fox like when it runs along the ground.

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Fox squirrels have babies year round in Florida, and tend to nest in pine,
oak and cypress trees, or cabbage palms. In the wild,
they utilize natural cavities or notches found in the trees, or expand those started by other wildlife such
as woodpeckers. When cavities or not available or not preferred they may build a leaf nest in the tree instead.

The average fox squirrel in Florida tolerates human proximity well, and has learned to thrive in urban and
suburban environments, taking advantage of whatever populated areas may have to offer.
Keeping that in mind, it is no wonder many of them have chosen the benefits of a warm, cozy attic,
over those offered by a natural landscape.

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Fox squirrels have strong hind legs and are known for their jumping ability. It is not uncommon for one
to be able to jump as much as 15' from tree to tree or tree to roof - something to take into consideration
when you are considering squirrel control around your home.

Fox squirrels are quick and not necessarily easy to catch, but faster predators such as bobcats,
hawks, owls, foxes and dogs can often get the job done. Nestling and juvenile squirrels are easier prey and
often fall victim to raccoons, opossums and snakes. All the more reason for a savvy mother squirrel to seek the
protected shelter of an attic.

Compared to the gray squirrel, the fox squirrel is not as territorial.

In spite of living in the trees, fox squirrels spend most their active hours foraging
for food on the ground, mainly during the day. Like the eastern gray squirrel, it chatters when alarmed.

Ned Bruha Removing A FoxSquirrel From A Client's Home

Fox Squirrel Sub-species In Florida

There are believed to be about four subspecies of the fox squirrel in Florida.
The protected big cypress fox squirrel (Sciurus niger avicennia),
also known as the mangrove or Everglades fox squirrel,
found mostly in Southwest Florida, the
Sherman's fox squirrel (Sciurus niger shermanii) found in the open piney woods
of central and northeastern Florida, and the Bachman's (Sciurus niger bachmani) and southern fox
(Sciurus niger niger) squirrels found in the panhandle.

The big cypress fox squirrel is most common in SW Florida in the western
portion of the area and then across eastward along the southern tip.

The big cypress colors are a bit different from that of the common fox squirrel, the big cypress's
body is buff or orange in color with a black head, white ears, white nose, white feet and a black or tan tail.

Big Cypress Squirrels HaveBlack Heads With White Ears

The big cypress fox squirrel utilizes the same kind of trees the common fox squirrel does,
and it likes to forage along the ground as well, however, it also forages in the trees,
and rarely chatters when disturbed.

They tend to be secretive and not commonly seen in populated residential
developments. However, they have successfully developed populations within urban areas around golf course habitats. In such
cases, their habitat is not endangered, and populations have fared well. In golf course environments, they appear to have
become accustomed to human populations and can be seen regularly by those on the course.

The big cypress fox is
considered a threatened species and is protected as such. Threats to the species include
disease outbreaks and the destruction of habitat due to development, one study cited loss of habitat
as the number one threat to the species.

Its adaptation to a golf course environment has helped populations grow a bit in these areas, it is believed that
golf courses provide a diverse and stable food source for much of the wildlife that exists there and this may
be why the big cypress squirrel is doing so well in those locations.

Lee County Golf Courses Have MadeA Nice Habitat For The Big Cypress

In the future, the golf courses in southwestern Florida may not provide as much protection for the big cypress
squirrel population as before.

In the past, the big cypress squirrel was able to move from one course to another when
the need arose, allowing golf course developed populations to persist by migrating elsewhere as needed.

The recent concern, however, has to do with courses being cut off from one another by development.
As a result, if a current habitat becomes unsuitable, the big cypress squirrel's ability to migrate will be
blocked by development, and it will be unable to get to an
alternative habitat if needed. Consequently, their chances of survival go down.

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